Spring, 2005

Inside this Issue:

Board Member Appointments 

Governor Kathleen Blanco re-appointed Joseph Bodenmiller, LCSW, to a second term on the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.  Joseph is currently serving the board as Chairperson.  His term will expire October 21, 2007.  

Governor Blanco appointed Tina Feldt, LCSW, to replace Gretchen Goodrich, LCSW, whose second term on the board expired July 26, 2004.  Tina Feldt is Director of the Counseling Center at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport.  She has served in this capacity since August, 2000.  Since September, 1993, Tina has also taught on a part-time basis for Northwestern State University Social Work Department.  Tina received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare from Louisiana Tech University in 1981, a Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University in 1986 and her Louisiana social work license (at that time called BCSW) in 1988.  She began working in the social work arena in 1981 as Director of YWCA Family Violence Program and has never strayed from the profession.  Tina has vast administrative and clinical social work experience.  For almost 15 years, her experience included work in various psychiatric hospitals in an administrative capacity.  During this time, she was charged with the responsibility of knowledge about quality improvement, outcome studies, budgetary requirements, continuing education programs, program management/development and human resource functions.  Tina’s term on the board will expire October 21, 2007.

NEW LAW—ACT 51

CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION NO  LONGER NECESSARY

By:  Deborah Fernandez, LCSW

  Legislative Chair for the LA Association of Clinical Social Workers

  During the 2004 session of the Louisiana State Legislature, the Louisiana Association of Clinical Social Workers (LACSW) was successful in the passage of its proposed bill which eliminated the requirement that Licensed Clinical Social Workers be in “consultation and collaboration” with a physician in order for insurance claims to be paid.  The new law, Act 51 of 2004, took effect immediately upon being signed by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco in July.  Social workers in Louisiana have been receiving third party payment of insurance claims since the passage of vendorship legislation in the early 1970’s.  However, that law mandated “C & C”, which prohibited social workers from practicing completely independently if they and their clients wished to be reimbursed by insurance for those services.  Removal of the requirement for “C & C” has been a goal of LACSW for many years, but particularly since the passage of the new Social Work Practice Act in 1999.

  The passage of the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act of 1999 was the work of a collaborative effort by LACSW, NASW, LA State Board of Social Work Examiners, LA Council on Social Work Education, Association of Black Social Workers and others, which established a comprehensive multi-level licensing law.  This was a remarkable accomplishment, which involved approximately 7 years of deliberations and 2 years of actively lobbying the legislature.  That lobbying effort was also led primarily by LACSW, Maxine Cormier and NASW.  The Practice Act established, among other things, a tiered level of credentialing and the authority of Licensed Clinical Social Workers to render diagnoses in the treatment of mental illness.  Establishing clinical social workers’ authority to independently diagnose was a significant accomplishment because it was rigorously opposed by insurance companies, the Medical Society and the Psychologist’s lobby.  Louisiana is currently one of a limited number of states in the nation which allows social workers to practice independently, render mental health diagnoses, treat all mental health conditions and have those services paid by insurance.

  Act 51 of 2004, proposed and lobbied by the LA Association of Clinical Social Workers, eliminated “C & C” and was the next logical step in the process to continue to advance the professional credibility of clinical social workers.  The mission was accomplished by members of the organization’s legislative committee and its full-time lobbyist, Maxine Cormier.  Maxine has been contracted by LACSW for 10 years and it has been under her direction and guidance that LACSW has learned to maneuver effectively and become a recognized player in the legislative process at the state capitol.  The bill was sponsored by Baton Rouge State Representative Sharon Weston Broome and supported by other friends of consumers and social workers, including Senators Jay Dardenne and Lydia Jackson and Representative William Daniel.  On a state level, which has always been the primary focus of LACSW’s work since its inception over 30 years ago, LACSW has established itself as the professional organization whose main objective is the advancement of clinical social work.

  Elimination of “C & C” is also a boon to the public consumer.  The new law now makes unnecessary the consultation with a physician, which relieves the client of that additional expenditure of time and money.  This legislation was also designed to aid the public by making access to mental health services in Louisiana less costly and cumbersome to consumers.  Please advise your clients to contact their insurance companies and refer to Act 51 of 2004 if they should continue to have claims denied based on the old law.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MAINTAIN YOUR BOARD APPROVED
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR STATUS  (BACS)

If you possessed the BACS status on June 30, 2000, you must attend another board approved supervision workshop on or before June 30, 2005, to maintain that status. 

2005 BOARD ORIENTATION WORKSHOPS

In accordance with Rule 507, to apply for Board-approved Clinical Supervisor (BACS) you must attend a supervision workshop of at least 10 hours duration and a Board Orientation Workshop.  It is recommended that LCSWs attend the “Orientation for Board Approved Clinical Supervisors” prior to attending the 10-hour supervision workshop.  The orientation workshops will be held at the board office located at 18550 Highland Road, Suite B, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.  Seating is limited to 16 people, so register early.

This workshop is also recommended to LCSWs who are already designated as Board Approved Clinical Supervisors and have not attended this training.

          The following is a schedule for the 2005 orientations: 

Friday, April 15th  1:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Saturday, August 13th  9:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Friday, October 21st  1:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Orientation for Board Approved Clinical Supervisors

2005 Registration Form

Impaired Professional Program Manager Named

Randall Griffith, LCSW-BACS, CCM Announced As

Program Manager for

Social Work Impaired Professional Program.

The Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners announces the appointment of Randall Griffith, LCSW-BACS, CCM as Program Manager of the Social Work Impaired Professional Program. Mr. Griffith will be responsible for the overall administration of the program, including monitoring of participants and submitting monthly reports to the Board on participants’ progress. A significant part of the position includes assisting those social workers in the program in meeting the agreements and obligations agreed upon with the Board.   In addition, Mr. Griffith will make recommendations on possible modifications and enhancements to the Social Work Impaired Professional Program to better meet the needs of the participants and the Board.

  In announcing the hiring of Mr. Griffith, LABSWE Chairperson Joseph Bodenmiller said, “By filling this newly-created position, the Board hopes to establish a quality program that will advance and emphasize a collaborative relationship between impaired social workers and the Board.”  Established in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Rules, Standards and Procedures, the goal of the Social Work Impaired Professional Program is to provide for public protection through the monitoring and remediative action of those social workers determined to be “functionally impaired in their ability to safely practice social work,” according to the Rules. Impairments include, but are not limited to, mental, physical and addictive disorders and other conditions.

  Social workers enter the program through either voluntary self-report of impairment or by determination by the Board following involuntary disclosure.  “The Board is concerned not only with monitoring of participants, but with supporting recovery through preventive measures, and the establishment of a Program Manager will greatly enhance that effort,” Mr. Griffith said.  “This position will also help take the Board out of the role of direct management of a participant’s participation,” he added. “Issues of compliance that before would have had to go through a sometimes lengthy process of Board hearings to be resolved can now be resolved quicker and effectively.” According to Mr. Griffith, at each meeting the Board will receive a summary of each social worker’s progress along with recommendations.

Mr. Griffith brings 24 years of social work experience, including eight years in case management, to the Program Manager position. He received his MSW from LSU in 1980 and was licensed in 1982. He has an undergraduate degree in Journalism from LSU-Shreveport.  He recently received his Board Approved Clinical Supervisor status and also earned a Certification in Case Management from the Commission for Case Manager Certification. The CCM designation is the first nationally accredited case manager credential, awarded to those applicants who meet 10 specific requirements and pass a rigorous six-hour exam.  In addition, Mr. Griffith also had extensive post-graduate training in systems interventions from The Family Therapy Institute of Washington, D.C., under the supervision of Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes.  His career in social work includes experience in out-patient therapy, crisis intervention, program development and oversight, and consultation on program management. He is a member of NASW, the Case Management Society of America and the American Association for Marriage and Therapy.

Over the next several months, Mr. Griffith and the Board will review the current structure and organization of the program. Projected enhancements include further standardizations of reporting requirements and forms, a review of current procedures regarding random drug screenings and the development of a state-wide network of Board-approved monitors.  More information on these and other enhancements will be forthcoming in future editions of the “NEWS.”

ASSISTANCE NEEDED

The board is seeking LCSWs who are interested in completing assessments to determine whether or not a social worker would benefit from the board’s Impaired Professional Program.  They are also looking for LCSW-BACS interested in supervising individuals who have been sanctioned and/or are part of the Impaired Professional Program.  

If you are interested in either or both of these, please complete the following questionnaire and return it to the board office, along with a current resume.

Board Meeting Dates for 2005

LABSWE falls under the Louisiana Open Meetings Act.  This law specifies that every meeting shall be open to the public, unless the subject of the meeting relates to the character and professional competence of a person, or to the investigation of a complaint or negotiation of litigation.  Compliance Hearings (to ensure people comply with the licensing law) and Disciplinary Hearings (to address public complaints about professional practice) fall under the open meeting law.  The schedule for each LABSWE meeting is posted 24 hours ahead of the scheduled meeting.  Any member of the public who wishes to address the board may submit a request in writing at least 24 hours before a public meeting to be included on the agenda.  All votes are public, as are all minutes of the meeting.  Contact the board office concerning meeting times and locations.

All meetings begin at 9:00 AM and are scheduled to be held in the LABSWE office in Baton Rouge.  Meetings carry over into Saturday, if necessary.

     Supervision Forms Revised

  The last time that social workers saw significant changes to the supervision forms was after the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act of 1999 passed, which required the Rules and Regulations to be amended (now entitled, Rules, Standards and Procedures).  It was also during this time that Dr. Dorinda Noble, LCSW, and Mr. Drayton Vincent, LCSW, developed and the board published, “Supervision for Professional Development and Public Protection:  A Guide.”  This document was later revised in 2003 by Dr. Penny Ramsdell, Supervision Consultant to LABSWE, who saw a need for some minor revisions and specifically some revisions to the Plan of Supervision.

  However, as time has passed and the board has received feedback from LCSWs and from staff, it was realized that more changes are necessary.  The documents used for supervision should provide the board and its staff the information necessary to verify that the supervision and experience requirements are being met, so that the board does not have to request additional information.  A supervision committee was formed that consisted of board members, Joseph Bodenmiller, Taylor Aultman and Jackie Shellington, the board’s supervision consultant, Dr. Penny Ramsdell, LCSW, and the board’s administrative assistant, Emily Efferson.  The committee reviewed the current forms, discussed the problems with those forms and finally suggested revisions to the forms to efficiently and effectively collect the desired information.

  The Plan of Supervision now includes a section entitled “Supervision Agreement.”  The wording for the supervisee and supervisor agreements are taken from the original Plan of Supervision; however, it has been revised to not be repetitive.  The only new section is a place for the agency supervisor to complete if the supervisee contracted with a LCSW-BACS outside of his/her agency for supervision.  This section was added to help supervisors adhere to Rule 503.W. which reads, “When supervision is provided to a GSW by a LCSW-BACS supervisor, not an agency employee, social work ethics require that the LCSW-BACS take responsibility for securing agency agreement to the Plan of Supervision, whether the fee for supervision is paid by the agency or the supervisee.”  The section called “Structure of Supervision” was revised to receive the information necessary to determine that supervision has been structured in accordance with the rules.  A new Supervision Agreement and revised Plan of Supervision form is required when changes are made to the supervision agreement, such as a change in employer for the GSW, change in LCSW-BACS supervisor and substantial changes in job duties within the same employment.  The documentation is due in the board office within 60 days of the date of the change.

  The Evaluation of Supervision and Termination of Supervision were also revised.  The rating scale for the Evaluation of Supervision has been changed to reflect a more accurate rating.  The purpose of this form is to evaluate the indicators of achievement from the Plan of Supervision.  The Termination of Supervision form was revised to include a place for the supervisor to specify how many hours of individual supervision and group supervision were provided.  It also requires that the supervisor recommend the supervisee for licensure as an independent practitioner. 

  It is absolutely necessary for you to use the forms or disk that your supervisee receives from the board office.  The GSW will receive the latest version of the forms when they register for their supervision.  Disks used for previous supervisees should be discarded.

Board Vacancies

  On July 26, 2005, there will be two vacancies on the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.  One vacancy must be filled by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the other vacancy can be filled by an individual who possesses either the Registered Social Work, Graduate Social Work or Licensed Clinical Social Work credential.  La. R.S. 37:2704, mandates the following qualifications for board members:

Citizen of the United States

Resident of the State of Louisiana

Hold current, valid license, certification or registration

Must have five (5) years of social work experience

The public member position on the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners is currently vacant. The public member can not be a currently elected official, and no public member can be or have been any of the following:

     (1) Actively engaged in the practice of social work or be the spouse of a social worker.

     (2) Engaged in the practice of psychology, psychiatry, or a member of a mental health

  profession, or the spouse of a member of a mental health profession.

     (3) Employed or own an agency or business entity that provides social, health, or mental   health care or substance abuse services.